When should you do the one rep max? Thats another question of mine once a month once every six months? I could do it monthly but I feel I would lose a day of actual quality lifting.

Well, for a weightlifter like me your training maxes are the second most important thing after what you've achieved in comps. It's no different from 100m sprint or hammer throws, really. But of course people disagree about how often you can lift to max, but generally, once a month is the accepted minimal amount.

Each people have to decide for themselves how important lifting to max obviously.

Does a max attempt interfere with your recovery? Actually I don't know but from what I've done (just squats and olympic lifts), I don't think it does.

It's important for a competing powerlifter or a competing weightlifter. For anyone else it may or may not be helpful. I don't think you would ever have to actually test it. However, some of us are just curious and competitive, at least with ourselves, and derive some satisfaction from testing ourselves. Even more satisfaction from new PR 1RMs.

That being said, if you choose to test maxes, I think there are several arguments for not doing it too often, like the reason John gave--you may lose, at least to some extent, a regular lifting day. However, if you can fit it into your routine where you would ordinarily do a near-max single, it may not interfere too much. Also, a max implies that you are near failure, or that you may attempt and fail one or more lifts, and that can be more difficult to recover from than your ordinary lifts.

Remember that a PR and 1RM may or may not be the same. If you are doing 5/3/1, for instance, your lift on the third set on the third minicycle may be the heaviest you have ever lifted, and thus be a PR. But, your calculated 1RM (based on the last set of the 3s day) may be more. It may be that if you tested it, you could get a bit more than the PR. If you're doing 5/3/1 faithfully, you probably set new PRs every cycle without ever truly lifting a 1RM. So you could theoretically go months of new PRs without actually testing a 1RM.

I only test a 1RM every few months, and I do it on the 5/3/1 day. When I do, I usually warm up, then do 1 rep at 75, 1 at 85 and 1 at 95, and then try 5 pounds more than the 95% lift. This is assuming that 95% of my current training max is more than I have ever actually lifted. Then I go ahead and do 3 reps at 85 and 5 at 75. I've thought about doing 1x80, 1x90, 1x100%, then 3x85 and 5x75, but have never actually done that.

_________________Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter.--Francis Chan

If you are training for Maximal Strength then you need to know what you can do for 1 rep - and that too on lifts you care about: for example, if your goal is to have a big Overhead Press, then yes: you need to train singles and such and work up to a big number.

Ken, in 5/3/1, the third week can be a time to go for a max without losing a training day. Once you have been doing it for a while, the last set will always be a new max, for practical purposes. If you are worried about getting it, just go up with singles, then do your 85% and 75% sets on the "way down". I think I got that from Wendler somewhere. If you think your true 1RM is higher than the 95% rep on that day, do singles at 80, 90, 100% (or more), then go back down to 3x85 and 5x75.

_________________Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter.--Francis Chan

The traditional Westside program calls for a 1RM or 3RM every ME training day. If you feel good, go for 1RM. If not, go for 3RM. John Broz does something similiar with squats and snatches. I started pulling heavy singles (not the same as maxing) on my deadlift for every deadlift workout and put about 25lbs on my deadlift in about 3 months, which is huge for me.

Ken, in 5/3/1, the third week can be a time to go for a max without losing a training day. Once you have been doing it for a while, the last set will always be a new max, for practical purposes. If you are worried about getting it, just go up with singles, then do your 85% and 75% sets on the "way down". I think I got that from Wendler somewhere. If you think your true 1RM is higher than the 95% rep on that day, do singles at 80, 90, 100% (or more), then go back down to 3x85 and 5x75.

Ever since I typed that in last night about missing a training day I've been thinking, "Well, hmmm, you could just do the regular workout on the way down...."

I'm not sure Wendler ever said to do that, but once you've been using 5/3/1 awhile, you tend toward certain lines of thinking. It's possible you worked that one out yourself.

Well anyway, wandering around a bit and heading back to the OP, my attitude towards 1RM's has been:

1) Beginning: what else is there, isn't that why we lift?

2) Later: Oh, right, do the sets, test it once in awhile

3) Now: Maybe try a 1RM every 2nd cycle for the fun of it, do the regular sets on the way down.

Which all just goes to show Wendler seems to have gotten through to me and I don't worry about it anymore -- if I'm making the progression during the cycle I know I'm gaining. To be sure, if I'm going to do one I want it to be the highest number I could possibly reach, but when/how often, doesn't seem to bother me much anymore.

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